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Buckinghamshire · London and the South East

Chimney survey in Forty Green, Buckinghamshire

Chimney surveys in Forty Green and the rest of Buckinghamshire. We survey on weekdays and at weekends.

  • Staining on walls around the chimney
  • Loose, cracked or missing pots
  • Frost-damaged brickwork on the stack

Chimney surveys near Forty Green

Chimney survey in Forty Green: what you get

Our chimney survey covers the stack and the details that keep water out around it: pots, cowls, flaunching, pointing, bricks and the flashings at the roof line. We also look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft where there’s safe access. The findings come in a written report with photos and recommendations. We survey single stacks on houses and groups of stacks on bigger buildings. Common reasons to book are staining on walls around the chimney and signs that a stack is leaning, across brick chimney stacks, lead flashings and chimney pots and cowls.

Village roofs often face open fields and take the full force of wind and rain, so ridges, chimney stacks, flashings and gutters work hard. Older walls take a long time to dry once water gets in. A written report sets out what to deal with and in what order. Lead flashings and old chimney stacks are often where weather gets in first.

We keep jargon out of it: if work is needed, the report says so clearly, and where it can wait, that is said too.

Place
Forty Green (HP9)
Region
Buckinghamshire
Price
From £150 inc. VAT
Your report
Written, with photos, emailed to you
When we survey
Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays
Cover
PI and public liability insurance
Call
07833 053749
Page updated
27 October 2026
Illustration of a chimney stack and its flashing on a grey roof slope

Forty Green homes and their roofs

Thatch survives on some older buildings in Buckinghamshire’s villages. Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates. Knowing the covering helps explain which parts of a roof are likely to need work first. About 4.1 miles south lies Cliveden, a reminder of how long the area around Forty Green has been built on. Period homes nearby can have lead valleys, tall chimneys and a patchwork of past repairs, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material.

If you own a rental within reach of Beaconsfield station, the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. If you look after a building such as Holtspur School & Pre-School, a written record of a large roof helps plan work for the holidays rather than in term time.

Forty Green is about 1 mile north-west of Beaconsfield, in Buckinghamshire. Forty Green is part of the area we cover and the surrounding area as part of our work across London and South East England. Forty Green is one of the places in Buckinghamshire we cover for chimney surveys. We also survey roofs in Reading.

Postcode districts we cover here for chimney surveys: HP9. That includes homes and businesses on Riding Lane, Brindle Lane and Hogback Wood Road and the roads around them. We also cover Knotty Green (1 mile north-east), Beaconsfield (1 mile south-east), Beacon Hill (1 mile north-west), Ledborough (1 mile east) and Loudwater (2 miles west). We also work in nearby towns such as Aylesbury (15 miles north-west), High Wycombe (4 miles west), Chesham (7 miles north), Marlow (6 miles south-west), Amersham (5 miles north-east) and Chalfont St Peter (5 miles east).

Landmarks near Forty Green

Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Davenies School, The Royal Standard of England pub and Beaconsfield High School and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Beaconsfield station, roughly 0.9 miles east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include High Wycombe Castle (3.8 miles west) and Hospital of St John the Baptist (3.5 miles west). Green spaces nearby include Holtspur Bank.

Map of Forty Green © OpenStreetMap contributors

How the survey changes by roof type

Chimney pots and cowls

On redundant flues, we check how the pots are capped. Capping without ventilation can trap moisture.

Flaunching

We frequently find flaunching that has cracked or broken away. Caught early, it’s often a small job.

Tips from our surveys

A survey works best with a little help from you, before and after. Tips:

  • Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
  • Ask about consent before removing a chimney on an older property
  • Ask for ventilated caps on redundant stacks
  • Remove aerials or dishes from the stack if they’re no longer needed

You get the report by email and can pass it to whoever does the work. We use plain English and a photo for each defect, so it is easy to follow.

Watch for damp or staining on chimney breasts. The sooner damp is spotted, the easier the cause is to find.

Why get it checked now?

A loose pot or brick can fall from height. Finding them early means they can be dealt with before they come down by a suitable contractor. In a place like Forty Green, a barn or garage roof left to fail puts whatever is inside at risk. It is worth including them in a survey before a winter does the damage.

Prices start from £150, including VAT, for a Basic Survey. Standard is from £250 and Premium from £400, both with VAT included. You will know the price for your survey before booking.

Why book with us

  • More than 20 years surveying roofs
  • Over 5,000 surveys carried out
  • Independent findings on the roof’s condition
  • Photos and a written report every time

Take a look at our cost guide or what we found on two real jobs.

FAQs for Forty Green

How do I find out if my home in Forty Green is listed?

Historic England’s list shows listed buildings, and the local council can tell you about conservation areas. If a home is listed, changes that affect its special interest need listed building consent, and in a conservation area re-roofing in different materials may need permission.

Do you cover smaller places like Forty Green?

Yes, we do. Our area covers London and the South East, from towns to the smallest villages. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.

Should a redundant chimney be removed?

There’s no single answer. We record how the stack is doing and whether it’s capped with ventilation. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need consent.

What happens after the survey?

We email you the written report with photos and recommendations. It’s yours to share with a seller, insurer, roofer or managing agent, whichever applies.

Are you structural engineers?

No. Visible signs such as deflection or sagging are recorded, but calculations and an engineer’s opinion are outside what we do. If one is needed, the report says so.

Is this a RICS survey?

No. This is a survey of the roof only, so it is not a RICS Level 2 or Level 3 survey. Many buyers have both.

How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?

We use safe viewpoints rather than climbing onto the stack. A drone inspection is part of the Premium Survey where it applies. Any area we couldn’t view is noted.

What a chimney survey doesn’t cover

Every survey has limits, and we’d rather be clear about that before booking. Bear these in mind:

  • Gas safety checks, which need a Gas Safe registered engineer
  • Parts of the stack that can’t be seen safely or belong to a neighbour we can’t access
  • What’s inside the brickwork or behind render, without opening up

If you are not sure which survey you need, ring 07833 053749 or use the contact form and we will give you a straight answer. What a survey covers and doesn’t.

What we look at

  • Brick chimney stacks
  • Flaunching
  • Chimney pots and cowls
  • Shared and party-wall stacks
  • Lead flashings
  • Chimney breasts

What we do, step by step

On the day, we start by asking what you’ve noticed and what you need to know. After that, we check everything we can see safely, using the ground, windows, the loft and a drone where it applies. Most surveys take roughly 1–2 hours at most homes, though large, tall or awkward roofs take more time. Cottages and farmhouses around Forty Green often have roofs at several levels, with lean-tos and outbuildings attached. Each part is looked at from wherever it can be seen safely, and anything we cannot see is noted.

  1. We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
  2. Each stack is inspected from safe positions outside.
  3. We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
  4. We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the roof space.
  5. The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.

Getting ready for the survey

  • If the roof is shared, arrange access with whoever manages the building
  • Unlock side gates and any roof access doors
  • Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at

Booking a survey

If you are buying, it’s useful to book soon after your offer is accepted, so there’s time to use the report before exchange. Otherwise, simply phone 07833 053749 or drop us an email whenever suits you.

Ask for a survey

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Signs you need a chimney survey in Forty Green

Flashings seal the gap where a stack passes through the roof. They can lift in wind, crack with age or pull out of the mortar joints. Failed flashings are one of the most common causes of damp around chimneys. Lead flashings can also be stolen.

We’re often asked to look at:

  • Gaps in the mortar around the pots
  • Eroded joints in the brickwork
  • Disused chimneys trapping moisture
  • Staining on walls around the chimney

Take an older house close to Church of St Michael and All Angels: its chimney, valleys and lead work are likely to be the parts that need attention first.

Before you book any roof surveyor

  • Whether the roof space is looked at, where there is one
  • Which limits apply to the survey
  • How they plan to inspect the roof safely
  • What happens after the report arrives

What a good roof survey covers

20+ yearsRoof survey experience
5,000+ surveys98% customer satisfaction
Drones and thermal imagingCAA-registered drone operator
Fully insuredProfessional indemnity and public liability
Reports from £150Prices include VAT